


Let Me Count The Ways

by Qzeebrella



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-18
Updated: 2012-05-18
Packaged: 2017-11-05 14:23:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/407439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Qzeebrella/pseuds/Qzeebrella
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jon thinks of a few of the things he loves about Malcolm.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let Me Count The Ways

At first I thought Malcolm was a by-the-book, highly driven, incredibly intelligent man with a penchant for blowing things up. Which made me watch him with a careful eye and as I watched him I realized that I was right, to a degree.

The lieutenant is by-the-book, but it seems to be a self-defence mechanism. It is as if he uses regulations to erect a barrier around himself in an effort to keep others from getting too close. He clings to the rules with an unnatural desperation as if hoping they will prevent him from falling into the trap of caring too much. Yet it was this desperation, this drive to hide behind a barricade that drove me to attempt after attempt to reach him.

The officer is also highly driven, spending long hours at work in a supposed attempt to improve efficiency. Yet it doesn't seem as if it is just duty that drives him to work so very hard. It’s more like he has a fierce determination to keep the ship and crew safe, to make constant improvements to the phase canons and torpedoes. His protective nature comes to the fore every time he organizes a rescue party through his attention to detail and the way he lets loose with everything he had. Everything from his daily workout, to his working on the force field in his spare time speaks of a personal desire to keep those he cares for safe. 

The man is highly intelligent, shown through both his work and his personal life. Malcolm has made incredible improvements to our weapons and found a way to stabilize the force field generator and yet he shrugs those achievements aside as if they were nothing. He’s the ship’s chess champion and one of the most avid readers, able to hold his own in debates with Trip, and is able to answer most of Phlox’s questions as to why we humans do the things we do. I was impressed by all of his achievements, but blown away by how casually he shrugged them off. This drove me to wanting to know him better, to engage him in debate, to discuss the books we were reading, to just try to find out why he didn’t take pride in his achievements.

The boy inside the man loves to blow things up. Malcolm gets this little happy smirk whenever he’s told he’ll be able to fire a test torpedo at an asteroid that just melts my heart. Then there’s the determined glint that he gets in his eyes when he is about to fire off a torpedo at an attacker which always gives me a thrill whenever I get to see it. Then there’s the times he gets to set up fireworks displays for the crew, small explosives that would detonate just outside the ship in intricate patterns. Malcolm planned them for weeks, eyes sparkling with anticipation and enthusiasm, and when it finally came time to set them off he did so with a joy that I was amazed to see. Each explosion he set off showed me Malcolm’s hidden passion, a passion I grew to hope would be directed towards me one day.

So, you see, though most people would consider Malcolm difficult, I do not. For the challenge of winning his friendship and love was one I was unable to resist. Then again, I never could resist a challenge.


End file.
